Key-socket-operating attachment



Mar ch 25, 19.24.

Z' fl x ATTORNEY R m N E V m w .W 0 m a M R. J. OWENS KEY SOCKET OPERATING ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 19.

Patented Mar. 25, 1924,

entree s'rares v titans earner caries.

Bonner J. ownns, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

"KEY-socKEr-"ori aiirme ATTACHMENT.

Application filed .it'ovember 19,1820. Serial No. 425,249.

7 in Key-Socket-Operating Attachments, of

' V which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a pull cordattachment for. the operation of the switch keys of electric sockets and contemplates the provision of inexpensive appliances which can be readily applied to the keyso that the latter can be switched on andoil' by pulling the proper cords, thus adapting the ordinary inexpensiv electric drop socket to be operated with all the convenience and advantage of a pull socket.

A further object of my invention 1sto provide the socket proper with" an attach-- ment which will engagethe drop cord and prevent the socket giving when the attach-v ment is pulledso as to make-more difficult the operation of the switch.

A further object is to especially design the operating attachment for the key so that there is the least probability of it getting into dead center position with reference to the cord on either side before the light has been switched on or ofi.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of the appl cation, and inwhich Fig.1 is a front elevation, and

' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my swltch operating and socket holding appliance 1n operating position on a key socket.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the key operating element shown in position on the key, the socket being omitted. 1

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have shown my invention as applied to a socket 1 having the usual key 2 for opening and closing the socket switch. The socket is suspended by a drop cord 3. The switch operating device, which is shown in detail 7 in Fig. 3, is preferably a double lever formed of bent wire though it may be formed of any suitable material or in any practicable manner so long as the general features of construction and design are adhered to. As illustrated, it comprises a vertical loop 4 open at the bottom and adapted to embrace the top edge and sides of the key near its outer end. From the base of this loop on each side of the key the wire, is bent rearwardly and upwardly to form parallel bends 5 which embrace the rear sides of the key, and thence the strands on each side of the key loop 4: are inclined upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions to form on each side a leg 6 which terminates in a downwardly and inwardl curved loop 7 From the top of each loop 7 the wire is bent back to form a leg 8, parallel with the leg 6, and bent upwardly at 9 to form a loop whichstraddles and rests on the key shank 10 just behindthe key 2. The wire strands 9 are drawn together and twisted at 11 'in a vertical line and thence are bent outwardly on each side to form the brace legs 12. Each end of the wire is twisted about the outer ends of its respective strands 6 and 8, its free end forming an underhanging eye 13 disposed at the upper ends of each loop 7.

The device as thus described is symmetrical in respect of a vertical plane through the key, each half being identical in structure and'the two loops 7 being reversely curved on centers struck approximately from the axis of the socket key.

This device is applied to the socket key by slipping the loops 4 and 9 downwardly over the key, it being noted that the loops d'and 5 will snugly embrace the sides of the key and that the loop formed by the wire portions 9 will embrace the shank behind the key and hold the device from slipping outwardly off the key. Pull cords l4: and 15 are attached at opposite ends of the switch opening member, the cord 14 being preferably attached at the base of the left hand loop 7, while the cord 15 is passed upwardly through the right hand loop 7 and attached to the adjacent eye 13. This brings the point of attachment of the two cords at different elevations for the purposes hereinafter explained.

In addition to this switch operating member, it is essential to provide some means to brace the socket against being rocked about its point of juncture with its flexible electric conductor cord 3 so that to pull by the cords 14 or 15 would merely rock the socket without fully operating the switch. To meet this condition I'provide a brace element preferably formed of bent wire and comprising at its base a spring clasp formed by bent wire loops 16 which are shaped to fit snugly about the sides of the socket and are held in clamping engagement therewith with a rear coiled spring 17 which is formed by a coil in the wire between the clamp loops. The free ends of the wire forming the clamp loops are extended upwardly to form the upright converging legs 18 which are twisted together at 19 with one strand extending beyond the twist and forming a wide open helix 20 which is surrounded with an insulating sheet 21. These two legs 18 are of substantial length so that the helix 20 will engage the cord 3 at a point approximately six inches above the socket. This forms a brace or purchase which will prevent to a largecxtent the tendency of the socket to rock when the pull cords 14 or 15 are pulled and the inclined relationship of the legs 18 gives a stout brace in the plane 'with the double lever against the lateral strains to which it may be subjected. Having applied the brace to the socket and caught the cord 8 in the helix 20 the switch operating element is slipped onto the key 2 and, ii it is desired to put out the light, the switch being in circuit closing position in Fig. 1, the cord 15 is pulled and by means of its attachment to the eye 13, it will pull the operating appliance through an angle of approximately 90, leaving the key disposed horizontally. It will now be noted that the other cord 1a is overhung to one. side of the vertical center line through the key because of its attachment to the free end of the other loop 7. I thus avoid a dead center position and furnish ample leverage for the cord 14: to rock theappliance back to position shown in Fig. 1 and cut on the light. The advantageof passing the cord 15 through the loop is that, if the other cord 14 is pulled to open the switch, the cord 15 will, by reason of the fact that it passes through the loop, exert its pull from the end of the loop 7 and thus avoid dead center position on this side. I prefer to attach the cord 14 at the loop as by this lower attachment I give a shorter pull to the side for cutting the light on than to the other side for cutting it off, the dificult part of the operation being to stop the switch on its circuit closing position,

i and it is desirable the switch should not be rocked past this position so as to cut the light oif again.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A pull cord attachment for operating key socket switches, comprising a double lever attachment having means at its center to mount it on the key, a downward pro jection at one end of the lever struck on a curve substantially concentric with the key, a pull cord attached to the lower end of said extension at a point substantially below the line of the socket key, and a pull cord attached at the other end of the lever at a point substantially level with the socket 2. A key socket switch operating attachment comprising a double lever having means at its center to mount it on the key, depending inwardly curved loops at the ends of said lever. substantially concentric with the key, a pull cord attached to the bottom of one loop, and a pull cord attached near the top of the other loop; and passing through it on the outside of the cross strand at its base, substantially as described. r

3. A pull cord attachment for key sockets switches of key sockets, comprising a central inverted U-shaped portion adapted to embrace the key, a second inverted U-shaped portion adapted to embrace and rest on the shank behind the key, upper and lower members converging from the center to wards each end to form braced lever arms and means to attach pull cords at di-fierent levels at the ends of said arms.

5. An attachment for operating the switches of key sockets, comprising a double lever formed of bent wire and comprising a central loop adapted to straddle and embrace the key, a rear loop adapted to straddle and embrace the key shank behind the key, the wires forming said latter loop being twisted together in a vertical direction above the loop, converging strands of wire leading from the top of the twist and from the base of the first mentioned loop towards each end of the lever, one of said strands at each end of the lever being bent to form a downwardly and inwardly curved loop which extends to a plane substantially below the level of the socket key, an upper short loop being formed where the converging side strands are joined together, a pull cord attached to the lower end of the large loop at one side, and a pull cord attached to the short loop at the other side.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT J. OWENS. 

